The NCAA has dropped the hammer on the Wolverines … well, not really.

For the next three years, the University of Michigan football program will be placed on NCAA probation. On top of that, the Wolverines will also be forced to pay a fine and have to deal with recruiting restrictions. Michigan and the NCAA came to these terms in an agreement.

The NCAA made the announcement Tuesday that the school, as well as five current or former staffers of the football team, accepted the terms. The Wolverines‘ punishment originates from “recruiting violations and coaching activities by noncoaching staff members.” (RELATED: This Is What An 80-Team College Football ‘Super League’ Would Reportedly Look Like, And … Why Do We Need This?)

Michigan‘s violations were centered around recruiting and coaching without permission during the “dead period” that was put over the entire NCAA as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in December, the NCAA issued a formal notice of the allegations to Michigan.

“The agreed-upon violations involve impermissible in-person recruiting contacts during a COVID-19 dead period, impermissible tryouts, and the program exceeding the number of allowed countable coaches when noncoaching staff members engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities (including providing technical and tactical skills instruction to student-athletes),” said the NCAA in an official statement.

Michigan committed NCAA violations in football program.https://t.co/FY3qVJnCBV

— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) April 16, 2024

If you’re a Michigan fan, you’ve gotta be loving this … this “punishment” is nothing more than a slap on the wrist. You could even make the argument that nothing came out of this at all.

And it makes sense … why would the NCAA want to destroy one of their most prestigious college football programs (the defending national champions at that)?

Both sides gotta be happy here.